Fire destroys Kewanee restaurant

The Los Ranchitos restaurant, 337 Tenney St., was destroyed by fire early Sunday morning.Fire Chief Paul Schaecher said the fire was reported just before 4 a.m. When the fire department arrived, Schaecher said, the fire was confined to the rear of the restaurant building.“The smoke was so thick you couldn’t see McDonald’s,” Schaecher said. McDonald’s is next door to the north.The fire broke through the roof of the building and the fire department’s aerial ladder truck was sent to the scene, the chief said.Schaecher said the restaurant manager had been at the restaurant at about 11 p.m. Saturday and noticed nothing wrong at that time.The cause of the fire was undetermined Sunday morning. Schaecher said the state fire marshal will be called to investigate.